Heel-spreader for horses.



' No. 645,5". Patented'Mar. l3, moo.

J. mnouoflan.

HEEL SPREADER FOB HORSES (Application filed June 12, 1899.) (No Model.)

WITNESSES: /4M. .WTJJQQDIM IIQ/ BY I . TTORNEYS m: NORRIS wrrzns ca, wo'romma, WASHINGYON, 04 c.

INVENTOR UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MOD ONOUGH, OF MONTOLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

HEIEL-SPREAIDER FOR HORSES.

SJPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,511, dated March 13, 1900. Application filed June 12,1899. fierial No- 720,-151. (No man.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES MCDONOUGH,-

a citizen of the United States, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heel-Spreaders for Horses; and I do hereby declare the follow-- ing to-be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichforrna part of this specification.

This invention has for its object the spreading of but one heel of a horse at a time, and particularly the heel which extends abnormally inward toward the center of the foot. Heretofore heel-Spreaders have, so far as ,I am aware, pressed oppositely with equal force againstboth heels of 3 the a'nim'als foot, and thus, while tending to cure the abnormal-formation, have at the same time pressed out the normal side of the foot, so that the heels remained at unequal distances from the center, it being understood that when the heels are at equal distances from the center they equally support the weight of the animal; but

by pressing out one heel from the center of the foot the pressure of such heel on the ground diminishes and the one nearerthe center iscaused to carry an overamount of weight; Thus'an abnormally-inturned heel,

with its undue pressure, tends to produce corns, water-cracks, or the like upon the foot, or otherwise tends to the discomfort and lameness of the animal.

The invention consists in the improved heelspreader and in the arrangement and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

In the present construction I have provided means by which the spreading force is directed only upon that heel of the horse which is abnormally contracted or inwardly extended.

With these objects in view I have provided the construction shown in the drawings, in'

which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures. Figure 1 is a plan of the under side of a .horses foot, aportion of the pad or plate be.-

ingbroken away. Fig. 2 is a plan of said plate with a spreading-springattached, held under tension by a key. 1 Fig. 3 is a detail view of said key, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the spreading-spring. f

In said drawings, aindicates the horses foot,'and b the pad or plate, preferably of leather, adapted to be interposed between the bottom of the horses foot and the shoe and be 1 heldin place by said shoe and the nails which fasteusaid shoe to the hoof. The said plate in plan is shaped to conform more or lessclosely in outline to thefoot and on the upper side receives the spreading-spring c. This comprises a single pronged piece of heavy re- 'silient wire turned at one end to form an ob being inserted through the plate and arranged at opposite ends of the slot d, formed in said eye, to prevent turning. At its opposite end with a laterally-bent tooth f, adapted to env ter the heel of the foot. The spring is so fastened upon the plate I) as that it will require flexing preliminary to the application ofthe plate to the foot and. so that when said plate is so applied said spring will bear against the abnormal heel to press the same outward or away from the center of the foot. 7 I q To hold the spring in a flexed position while the plate is being applied to the foot, I have provided a key 9, consisting of a bent piece v I of wire, the bit 9 of which is adapted to en-- ter one of a series of holes h'hh found in the plate near the heel and catch upon the tooth f, so as to hold the freeend of the spreadingspring away from the heel during the operations of. applying the plate and shoe 11 to the I foot. After such applyingoperations the key may be withdrawn, when the spring is free to press outward against the heel.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim as new is-.-

y 1. The improved heel-spreader for horses,

comprising a supporting-plate and a single independent resilient prong to press against the abnormal heel, substantially as set forth.

the single prong'of said spring is provided 2. The improved heel-spreader for horses, comprising a leather plate adapted to be in: tel-posed and held between the horses shoe and foot and an independent spreading-sprin g fastened to said plate at one end and having a tooth at its opposite free end, substantially as set forth.

3. The improved heel-spreader for horses, comprising a supporting-plate and conforming in general outline to the foot of the animal, and a spring fastened to the fore part of said plate and extendingback toward the heel portion thereof, Where it is free to engage the heel of the animal, substantially as set forth.

4. The improved heel-spreader, comprising a plate, a spring slotted at one end and having a lateral tooth at the opposite free end,

and rivets for holding said spring to said plate, substantially as set forth.

5. The improved heel-spreader, comprising a plate having a series of holes, a spring slotted at one end and having a tooth at the other, fastening means and a key, all arranged and adapted to operate, substantially as set forth.

6. The improved heel-spreader, comprising a spreading-spring, and a lock for holding said spring out of spreading relation to the heel, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 7th dayrof Jun,e,1899. JAMES MoDONOUGH.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, C. B.;P1TNEY. 

